Los Gatos woman sentenced to 35 years for teen party crimes

A California woman was sentenced Thursday to 35 years and 10 months in prison for a series of crimes related to her role in hosting alcohol-fueled parties for teenagers at her Los Gatos home. Shannon O’Connor, 52, received the maximum sentence after being convicted in March on 48 counts, including child endangerment, supplying alcohol to minors, and sex-related offenses.

The charges stemmed from gatherings held between June 2020 and May 2021, during which prosecutors said O’Connor provided vodka, whiskey, and other alcohol to minors, most of whom were between 13 and 15 years old. Authorities said she took weekly drink orders from the teenagers and used social media applications like Snapchat to communicate with them privately, sometimes summoning them to her home late at night. Prosecutors alleged she created an environment where teens drank to the point of vomiting, losing consciousness, and becoming unable to consent to sexual activity.

During a three-day sentencing hearing in Santa Clara County Superior Court, more than a dozen victims and their parents delivered emotional statements detailing lasting trauma, including depression, addiction, and hospital stays. One young...